Carte Blanche
Jean Pierre THORN
Friday 5 September 2008 in his presence.
"Yalla Go!" monitoring of "back to the wall"

Jean-Pierre Thorn seems to have a unique relationship with time. In 1968, he threw himself alone at first, with a small camera Pathe Webo and a tape recorder not synchronous, in the heart of the strike by workers at Renault-young Flins, before being joined and supported by talented technicians (Bruno Muel, Antoine Bonfanti, Yann Le Masson ...). Thanks to Jean-Luc Godard, he shoots in May 1969, four copies of Dare to struggle, dare to win and it saves one of his comrades of the Maoist People's Cause, which, following a court "popular", describe the film "liquidator". It was not until 1978 that Dare struggle, dare to win real traffic, in a program established in 1968 by the author. A year later, Jean-Pierre Thorn withdrew his film distribution networks. The withdrawal lasted twenty years.
Meanwhile, between 1969 and 1978, the filmmaker has made worker, "established" plants Alsthom of Saint-Ouen. A few months after leaving the factory in October 1979, the sit-down strike, as required, then explodes. His comrades seek, Jean-Pierre Thorn back with his camera and his film friends (which, again, Bruno Muel), he emerges with his back to the wall (1980), probably his masterpiece, one of the best films in any event on a workers' strike. It was probably at that time, a priori, that Jean-Pierre Thorn seems to have been the more "synchronous".
For his first fiction, I've got you under the skin narrating the life of a Communist trade unionist, a former nun who committed suicide after his exclusion and "the arrival of the Left in Power (1981), could not out in 1990 in a political context radically different (and completely heartbreaking). It also had a significant contribution to the public failure of the film. After Generation Hip Hop or the movement of ZUP (1995) and Angels Make Kifer (1996), we can understand the deep nostalgia that crosses were not registered bike (2002), centered on the personality and destiny of Bouda, Hip Hop dancer whose career was shattered by the application of double and triple penalty. In fact, through the work of Jean-Pierre Thorn, between rage and bitterness, nostalgia pierces or violent secret that reflects moments lost and unfinished: the strike we would have won if ... the career he might have done if ... Implicit in this discourse is probably hiding the director's own cracks: Revolution or strikes that would have won, the other films I should have done ... But it is precisely this nostalgia and in this bitterness, in this meantime, what has built the work of the filmmaker.
own titles of its three main documentary also refer to developments of our time: an attitude of conquest of the working class (or those who want to be his heralds) to an attitude defensive, an attitude of defense of the working class once imagined, and now so badly, in an attempt to survival of young from working class backgrounds. Inside-of his work, Jean-Pierre Thorn, editor himself, excelled in some of his films, by the time it establishes. Dare to struggle, dare to win, which the assembly is molded of Eisentein theories, is well beyond even the pamphlet (very) dogmatic, a beautiful epic. The back wall, inspired by the ideas of direct cinema expressed in particular by Barbara Kopple in his masterpiece Harlan County USA, introduces him, another report in time. Here of historical narrative leading to a revolutionary incantation and prophecy angry, but real work on the time of the strike and its actors (leading to a bitter conclusion). Meanwhile Jean-Pierre Thorn has actually known the time of factory work, and if his sincerity is always absolute, it has greatly increased the quality of listening, dialogue and observation - the wages necessary documentary work. (From this angle the first fiction of Jean-Pierre Thorn seems to be a regression, as the irruption of reality and time dilation does not appear to have a place in the juxtaposition of color prints and the pageant).
Jean-Pierre Thorn also appears as a filmmaker in his relation to space. All the space of Dare to struggle, dare to win stands in the factory compound and its relationship with the outside, the two worlds are separated by fences. We find a similar geography in the back wall - and Similar scenes (up stairs of the factory workers on strike). Between two space-worlds, between the factory workers and reinvest outside the yellow link where threatening and CRS, always pierce the nostalgia of a cons-attack almost militarized, fiction, and the temptation to organization of violence, a reconquest of the world beyond the physical and symbolic barriers. The world of factories and workshops is one of the fathers of children of hip-hop, they have a horizon HLM bars, gates and gateways of the RER, roofs and basements of large groups. When the young dancers are not registered bike perform their choreography is enclosed within four walls, bounding and rebounding in a confined space. Any work of Jean-Pierre Thorn tends to reclaim and expand the space, breaking the walls, climb and catch up. Hence, generally, this immense feeling of bitterness.
In fact, some films of Jean-Pierre Thorn came out at an inopportune moment, the filmmaker and the citizens were often in symbiosis with their time, sometimes ahead of it. In the early 80s, then it is permanent union of the audiovisual section of the CFDT (before being ruled out of the confederacy), he is an early interest in creating video in relation to councils. It also organizes, managing to work the CGT and CFDT in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, a video festival of labor organizations. Co-founder of ACID (Association for an independent film), Jean-Pierre Thorn has campaigned a lot in summer 2003, with rigor, to defend the regime of the entertainment at the expense of the release of his latest documentary. Jean-Pierre Thorn and those who prove by their actions and their films, even if it does not like the phrase, the words "filmmakers" and "activists" are sometimes incompatible. On the contrary.
Tangui Perron, in charge of heritage and film in Seine-Saint-Denis
Go Yallah!

The combination of a caravan for an ambitious mission to make women aware of their rights on each side of the Mediterranean. After crossing their path, Jean-Pierre Thorn decides to film their daily struggle. The director makes with a relevant staging a tribute to those humanists shade.
The caravan from Algeria, Morocco, France. They decided, by conviction and through their experiences, promote the cause of women by teaching them their rights. That would obviously turn a blind eye to pretend that such education is unnecessary, while in France die each year nearly 400 victims of domestic violence (according to The Right to Know, 1999, which also pointed the figure of 2 million battered women in France). Zorah Sadik and others, the "caravan", have decided to fight back gently, to promote discussion and education. Jean-Pierre Thorn was impressed, he decided on adopting a more discreet form of tribute to that fight. He films, simply, the caravan in action every day, going door to door, organizing meetings - debates ... It occurs only very little, leaving his subjects speak: they have much to say.
If expressed little direct manner, the director is present through much of the assembly. The film never stops to compare two caravans, one located in Morocco and one in France, in the region Lyon. The finding, the French side is overwhelming. Between a country still viewed as somewhat socially backward and the "country of human rights", the contrast looks often at the expense of France. It was in France that we find the most extreme women "anti-feminist," they are treated terribly macho culture and patriarchal. Faced with such attitudes, caravan are careful not to look down: the fight for women's rights has already seen enough of lecturing ... As always, they respond by listening and dialogue. Director not directly express their disapproval, and give their place to these views as to others. Remains for the viewer to form an opinion, which will, hopefully, no doubt.
Long and slow, the film by Jean-Pierre Thorn is a true statement, if not love, at least respect vis-à-vis the struggle of the caravan. It must certainly not less than two hours of film to make a worthy tribute to these women (and few men) fighting. The journey "education" is no caravan of superfluous, especially not when we know even today, atrocities such as female circumcision may remain unknown to many people, usually informed. A vision of Allez, Yallah!, We are surprised, feeling strange and unusual, to believe again that things can change, as the battle of the caravan is being conducted with faith and courage. Make and distribute this film is a tribute to barely adequate.
Vincent Avenel
Meet Zohra Sadik, one of the caravan;
Firstly, I want you to tell me about how the film was mounted. How Jean-Pierre Thorn, the director, he contacted you?
The director was present at the caravan, 2004 which was held here in Lyon by the AFCI - Association of Women against fundamentalism - that's how we made the acquaintance of Jean-Pierre Thorn . He filmed, we followed throughout the course of the caravan of Lyon. That's how he got the idea to follow the caravan to Morocco. And suddenly, as it organizes, Morocco, several caravans local or national, he had the idea of talking about this fight for women from a movie, just to pass all values, all principles, all the strength and all the will we have to get this society of equality.
Jean-Pierre Thorn is a very activist, he has great values. From your perspective, what do you get across with this film? Is it a testimony of what you have done, or is it a not on your road to the future?
In fact, it somewhat reflects our convictions, principles of our project, because we are going in the most remote areas to educate women, men and youth to feel connected, to mobilize them, so they are also involved in this fight. So this film, it makes a little show, but at the same time to mobilize. It's a way to see that there are women who argue, who have the will to change that. It reflects a little bit that hope, actually. We also hope it's true, we have a situation that is a little complicated, but we will be able to just overcome all these obstacles, to reach that women and men - because the fight is a fight women and men - will have this one. We talk through a film, so it allows you to ask questions. There are women who fight for rights, for equality, against fundamentalism, so it also allows others to be involved in this fight.
Hopefully, "Go, Yallah! "Will be a success other than the success of esteem. Have you any other media projects in parallel? In fact
media projects, we have caravans that organizes this year, and we will organize une autre caravane dans la zone du nord du Maroc, vers la ville de Tanger. C’est une activité qu’on organise chaque année. En même temps, l’objectif, ce n’est pas seulement d’arriver dans ces villages pendant 10 jours ou bien une semaine, parce que c’est tout un travail qui se fait pendant les caravanes. Il y a des questionnaires pour connaître un petit peu la situation économique et sociale, les conditions de vie de ces personnes, au niveau de la santé : ça nous permet d’avoir des données concrètes qui pourront servir à mener notre combat, de plaider vis-à-vis de l’État, vis-à-vis des responsables, pour que ça change. C’est en parallèle with all the work being done for education, for information on all matters concerning the law, whether for men, women or youth. And at the same time, it also monitors these caravans: I want to say that this is not an occasional activity, but it is an activity among others in the association, and just after the caravan ago Always follow up. In all regions where you organize caravans there are people of LDDF, the Democratic League for Women's Rights, which ensure that followed there. We have several projects: course of study, but we have another project and I think it very important too, because he joined a little concept of the caravan, who joined a little strategy is the School of Equality and Citizenship, which is about Casa and aims to give training for teachers, as part of associations, and also to young people. The School of Equality and Citizenship is therefore a program that is very interesting: the history of religions, the history of slavery, gender, communication, history of fighting for women So all this makes a bit of training teachers. You know that teachers have a direct relationship with students: it will have an impact, obviously it will impact on attitudes. We have several projects in the future.
As part of the caravan which was filmed for "Go, Yallah! "Is that it changed anything for you to have the presence of camera crews to side? Is it does not create the hostility, mistrust from the people you meet?
all, not at all. People were confident. Why? Because we, before going on site, before starting the caravan, here we go, we work with people, it organizes sites clean, they are encouraged to come to the caravan, so already there is a prior contact that makes it possible to trust people. So in no case was felt a reluctance on the part of people.
And yourself? The team caravan? It has not changed your behavior?
When you are on hand when you're in action, it is not there a. .. I mean, when you're right in the action, we are not careful there's a movie. It was not really a film: it is there, it works. I do not pay attention to Jean-Pierre, I do not know what he shot or not. He was with us, he followed us, yes, but in no case was this thought that this is a movie.
Do you think you own the caravan could try to change attitudes in the French community?
No, I think there are many organizations working in the field. So we're not there to do the work of associations, which do good work. What is needed is that there be coordination broader discussion on the objectives. Because in fact, everyone working for equality, to citizenship, against fundamentalism ... Thus, each association is working in his corner: yes, there are the same goals, so that's why it takes a little work in coordination in order to achieve these goals. Not just in terms of associations, but at the social workers at the Ministry of Education, because everyone has some responsibility in this fight. So, so, as we caravan from Morocco, we can help, you can participate, but in no case can work to establish associations that are there. You can participate in activities they can learn from the experiences of Moroccan women, as it builds and it also benefits from the experience of French associations. It's actually a complement, more than an association came from Morocco. True, when we speak of the Maghreb in general, although there are North African associations to inform them, tell them that it happens, there is a trend here. That allows a little bit to contribute to these actions. I know there are organizations working in the field, but they must complement each other: it is very very important.
It's almost ten years that the existing caravan ...
association? Since 1993. But we started the caravan in 2002.
Got something for the future? Ideas, hopes?
course. When there is activity, there is always an assessment, a way of seeing, and certainly there's plenty to do, but there are still things that have been made. Home (note: Zohra Sadik was born in Morocco), for example, there were all fighting women's movement that made it a little bit changed the laws. There was the reform Code of Personal Status, there is the principle of equality that is now enrolled in the Family Code. We have acquired, but it is not enough for us, either at law or in attitudes. What we have so far in law is fine, we must also act on attitudes. So that, it's part of our project. Of course there is hope as we work on the ground, as we have belief, as we have goals, so we have principles, a strategy is safe we'll get there: there is hope. Otherwise ... it's not worth starting this fight.
One final note is that at the policy level too, there must still have a policy so that things change, either at the free entry of fundamentalists that whether at the level of education in law, whether at the level of equality, there must be a clear policy that has specific goals. We really there participation and contribution policy, or rather a real political will for the society to which we aspire all, because we can not talk about democracy without women's rights.
Interview by Vincent Avenel
The caravan of women's rights:
(click photo)
BACK WALL
documentary by Jean-Pierre Thorn, conducted in 1979, reports of the strike and occupation of Alsthom factory in Saint-Ouen. Jean-Pierre Thorn made his debut in métrange-1968 (Dare to struggle, dare to win) on the occupation Renault factory in Flins. It is thanks to Jean-Luc Godard that he draws, in May 1969, 4 copies of the film, but it really does not circulate until 1978.
Las theoretical discourse and intellectualizing on the workers, Thorn decided to become an "established" and a real commitment on the ground by joining Alsthom in 1971 (it is also in order to leave his library and discover the world as it is that Pierre Perrault, another figure of direct cinema, decided to shoot from the Ile-aux-Coudres, Quebec). He notes in this regard, the "cunning" executive who hired Alsthom leftists to destabilize the CGT. He will remain seven years with Alsthom, until 1978. It was some time after his departure in October 1979 that his former colleagues recalled filming the strike as expected and finally decided.
Thorn then returns with his camera and some film friends (including Bruno Muel, former Group Medvedkine) to capture the event. It is strongly inspired by the ideas of direct cinema, particularly by Harlan County USA by Barbara Kopple, a film about the miners' strikes of Kentucky in June 1973. He decides to make an anti-Dare to struggle, dare overcome it deems too simplistic and too cartoonish (the film contains repeated attacks against the "revisionism" CPF) to make a film deeply entrenched in the working world and its different forms (see Cinema over the wall in the complements). Back In The Wall, Thorn also really gives a voice to workers. At the opening of the film is a striker that we learn the situation of employees of Alsthom (41h30 of work per week, no 13th month, no pay increase, 4 weeks paid holiday ... ) and hence the legitimacy of their action.


From the first images of the film we are struck by the process of reclaiming the work by the striking workers at the expense of the Directorate and the "yellow" (not strikers). The doors are welded, the offices of "yellow" are covered with the same color paint, slogans and watchwords adorn the roof of the factory. The workers are also women and children come to visit their workplace, and this with some pride. The first moments of the film, which also correspond to the earliest days of the strike take place in an atmosphere of good natured, Full of hope and excitement. The plans are relatively long, the images "take their time." A voice recites the days go by. More time passes and as time seems longer. The days seem longer. Each day spent is both a victory and additional suffering. This film, really up in the heart of his narrative the notion of temporality of the strike and the ensuing sense contradictory: each worker strike is caught between pride and resist the fear of losing everything.
Thorn, still in its effort to enable speech to the workers, asked three strikers unorganized. They express their mistrust vis-à-vis trade unions (CGT too close to the PC, CFDT subject to the turf battles between leftist), their non-recognition in a political party and doubts about the communist ideal ("we n 'have no role model in the world "). Only 10 years after 1968, their claims are not limited to a material will ultimately individualistic and short to medium term, but the notion of ideal and utopia in the longer term appears to vanish. This passage is interesting about the future of the working world, and raises the question of politicization and its union. Question not so far from some current concerns.
time the film follows the time of the strike. This aspect is felt especially by the assembly produced by Thorn himself. The turn is the footage of the occupation of the Bourse in Paris (it really puts us in terms of workers, we feel their fear, anguish and then the explosion at the entrance to the Inside the temple of capitalism, all without effect editing, allowing time to develop; see discussion in Alain Nahum Additions). Gradually, as the film progresses, some images are repeated (The AG, the presence of CRS), the voice ticks off the days on strike is no longer present. The tension is palpable and the family is now excluded. The workers seem increasingly isolated.
Finally, after more than a month to strike (October 11 to November 26, 1979), the claims are far from being met, and defeat is bitter. Despite a last "International" full of rage (on a guitar rif destructed, as the Star Spangled Banner by Jimmy Hendrix exploded) in the factory yard, the disappointment is great. This seems to anticipate disillusionment with politics that is preparing the election of François Mitterrand in 1981, but also the evolution of the working world and its representation.
backs to the wall is ultimately true and beautiful film, with an "epic working" between the joys, disappointments, and betrayals own solidarity in the struggle. He joins more than ever especially our current concerns, as evidenced by the dialogue between a "yellow" and "red" at the factory gates: the first: "everyone has the right to claim, but within the law, without imposing what you want, "the second:" Have you ever received a single Satisfaction with Alsthom in legality? ".
Stéphane Bedin
10 years earlier:
June 10, 1968, return to work Wonder factory.
Jean-Luc Godard's "La Chinoise"
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